Click on title above to view homepage, then use links on right for specific film reviews and articles.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Alan a Dale, Outlaw of Sherwood.

Above: Alan A Dale in his latter years. From "Rogues of Sherwood Forest" (1950). Alan A Dale makes relatively few appearances throughout the films and television programmes devoted to the legend of Robin Hood. But any schoolboy growing up in post war Britain would be familiar with this outlaw from his numerous appearances in boys annuals of the time. Robin Hood first encountered Alan A Dale singing alone in the depths of Sherwood Forest, despairing over the loss of his girlfriend, the maiden Ellen, to an old Knight. Robin took pity on him and rescued the fair Ellen during her wedding ceremony. She went on to marry Alan, who in turn became a faithful and loyal member of Robin Hoods Merry Men.

Far too many films combine the character Alan A Dale with that of Will Scarlet. And yet two people could not be less alike. Alan was a good natured, even tempered woodsman, with a gift for story telling, whilst Will Scarlet gained his name partly because of the coloured fabric he might rob from the rich and wear as trophies, but mostly because because of the anger inside. The above statue, which stands outside the gates of Nottingham Castle, depicts Alan A Dale (left) alongside Will Scarlet. Note that Alan is playing a small harp. This is correct, even though he is most popularly pictured with a mandolin, as in the Walt Disney film The Story of Robin Hood, and the Hammer films Sword of Sherwood Forest and Challenge for Robin Hood. But note also that the artist has persisted in depicting Will Scarlet as a "dandy". This is certainly incorrect.

Links to this post:

Contributors

ROBIN HOOD is the most famous outlaw, and the most skilful archer the world has known; a natural leader of men in his fight to defend the oppressed people of England. Some say his strength came from a Pagan faith in the energies and spirits of the forest. Some say it came from a loyalty to the absent King Richard. One thing is certain. He will continue to inspire generations to come, just as he has for centuries past. ABOVE: Robin Hood picture gallery. Top to bottom: Errol Flynn, Richard Todd, Richard Greene, Sean Connery, Martin Potter, Patrick Troughton, Matthew Porretta, David Warbeck, Michael Praed, Jason Connery, Jason Armstrong, Kevin Costner. BELOW: Don Taylor, Robin Dunne, Patrick Bergin, John Bradley, Douglas Fairbanks.

LITTLE JOHN stood over seven feet tall, a gentle giant of a man. He was skilled with the sword and long bow, but favoured the long staff as his weapon of choice, at which no man could best him. He remained Robin Hood's loyal servant until the end, even burying his master where his final arrow fell. ABOVE: Top to bottom: Archie Duncan, Clive Mantle, Nicol Williamson, Nick Brimble, David Morrissey, Gordon Kennedy, Dan Meaden. BELOW: James Robertson Justice, and Mark Gibbon.

WILL SCARLET was a violent, tormented soul. It seems only his respect for Robin Hood kept him in line, although arguments were many. Will beat Robin in their first swordfight, but his temperament prevented him from being the leader the outlaws needed. Some films and TV shows depict him as a Scarlet Pimpernel type, a Dandy. Nothing could be further from the truth. ABOVE: Top to bottom: Bud Geary, Harry Lloyd, David Butler. BELOW: Anthony Forwood, Paul Eddington, Owen Teale, and Richard de Klerk.

MAID MARIAN was the original English rose. Her beauty brought many male admirers, including the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisborne, but her heart belonged to Robin Hood. Her greatest skill was as a spy, and many times she risked her life taking information from Nottingham Castle back into Sherwood Forest. Marian was also a very capable archer, and equally skilled with the sword. ABOVE: Top to bottom: Olivia de Havilland, Joan Rice, Patricia Driscoll, Diane Keen, Judi Trott, Uma Thurman, Anna Galvin, Ciaran Madden, Enid Bennett, Lucy Griffiths, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Cate Blanchett. BELOW: Bernadette O'Farrell, Anna Galvin, Kathleen Byron, and Erica Durance.

FRIAR TUCK's large appearance belies the excellent swordsman within. On occasion he even bested Robin Hood in playful fight. Friar Tuck loved his food and wine, but he was a spiritual man, an ideal counsellor for the outlaws' personal problems, and probably versed in basic medical techniques with which to attend their wounds. ABOVE: Top to bottom: Alexander Gauge, Niall MacGinnis, Phil Rose, David Harewood, Michael McShane. BELOW: James Hayter (2 pictures from 2 different movies), Bill Dow, Kenneth Gilbert.

The SHERIFF of NOTTINGHAM is the most famous of Robin's enemies. An evil scheming man of supreme intelligence, he cared little for either Saxon or Norman point of view as long as he stood to benefit from the chaotic situation the King's absence created. Although Robin regularly defeated the Sheriff he can rarely say he outwitted him. ABOVE: Top to bottom: Alan Wheatley, John Arnatt, Paul Darrow, Alan Rickman, Keith Allen, Lara Pulver. BELOW: Robert Shaw, Peter Cushing, Julian Sands, Nickolas Grace.

GUY OF GISBORNE was originally an assassin dressed in animal skins, and only appears briefly in the early tales. But in the 1930's, Hollywood made his name legend. Robert Addie played the part in the 1980's "Robin of Sherwood", and many fans think this the definitive interpretation. But admirers of Richard Armitage (center) and Michael Wincott (bottom), will disagree.

ALAN A DALE was an invaluable member of Robin Hood's Outlaws. An excellent woodsman, but his real contribution was in raising the men's spirits around the camp fire with his ability to translate the events of the day into a humorous lyric. ABOVE: Top to bottom: Elton Hayes, Richard Coleman, John Schlesinger, Lloyd Talman, Joe Armstrong.

MUCH the Miller's Son, rescued by Robin Hood after being caught poaching the King's deer, then to join Robin's outlaws as a symbol of the oppressed common man whom Robin Hood fights to defend. ABOVE: Peter Llewellyn Williams, Danny Webb, Sam Troughton, Joe Cook.

The best interpretations of the Robin Hood legend acknowledge the superstitions and beliefs of his day. Geraldine MacEwan (above top) made an unforgetable witch Mortianna in "Robin Prince of Thieves". Anthony Valentine (above middle) also excelled as Sorcerer Baron De Belleme in "Robin of Sherwood". In 2008 Josie Lawrence played Matilda in the BBC's Robin Hood Series 2, a "witch" credited with raising Robin Hood as a boy.

NASIR in Robin of Sherwood (above top), introduced the concept of having a Muslim outlaw in Robin Hood's Men in. This hugely successful inovation continued with KEMAL (New Adventures of Robin Hood), DJAQ (Robin Hood 2006), and AZEEM (Robin Hood Prince of Thieves).

KING RICHARD in "Robin Prince of Thieves" (above top), was played by Sean Connery, the same actor who played Robin himself in "Robin and Marian". Walt Disney's "Story of Robin Hood" cast Patrick Barr in the role. Michael-John Jackson appeared in "The Legend of Robin Hood", Wallace Beery was King in the Douglas fairbanks silent 1922 version. BELOW: Ian Hunter (The Adventures of Robin Hood), Steven Waddington (BBCs Robin Hood, 2008), and John Rhys-Davies (Robin of Sherwood).

PRINCE JOHN plots how to take over the throne during King Richard's long absences from England. Above: David Dixon "(The Legend of Robin Hood"), Sam De Grasse (silent movie 1922), and Toby Stephens (BBCs Robin Hood Series 3). BELOW: Hubert Gregg (Story of Robin Hood), David Richmond-Peck (Beyond Sherwood Forest), and Phil Davis (Robin of Sherwood).

The NIGHTWATCHMAN. The BBC Robin Hood series 1 & 2, gave Maid Marian (Lucy Griffiths) a secret identity. The most revolutionary addition to the legend since Nasir in the 1980s.

DERWENT (Victor Woolf) was fairly typical of the semi-anonymous outlaws who surrounded Richard Green in TV's Adventures of Robin Hood. Suffice to say that, when 1950's kids played Robin Hood, no-one wanted to be Derwent!